BE A BRIGHSTONE, CHALE & NITON Experience sustainable transport 6 ITINERARIES It’s easy to explore the Isle of Wight using sustainable transport. Here are a few ideas for fun local days out – no car required! Everything’s better by bus. It’s more fun than a car, the kids don’t fi ght and BETTER BY BUS you get brilliant views. From Brighstone you can jump on the Southern Vectis route 12 bus and you’ll be in Freshwater in 20 minutes… so long as you don’t get stuck behind a tractor, which happens rather a lot around 1here! In Freshwater, go for a bracing walk up Tennyson Down, right up to the monument at the top. You’ll be rewarded by views over the iconic Needles. Head back the way you came, then get the route 7 bus to Yarmouth to check out the posh boutiques and restaurants. Or snap up a 24hr hop-on, hop-off bus ticket and explore the spectacular South on an Island Coaster. Stop offs include Isle of Wight Pearl where you can splurge on jewellery and a cream tea, and then go on to subtropical Ventnor with its Botanic Garden, and Shanklin old village. The Island Coaster bus will take you all the way to the golden sands of Ryde where you can pop into the Bus and Coach Museum (it’s free!). You’re never far from dinosaurs here. The Isle of Wight is known as DINO HUNT Dinosaur Island, as it’s the fossil capital of Europe. Rare species and whole skeletons have been found along the coast, sometimes by holidaymakers just messing about on the beach. To explore dinosaur 2country, start at Brighstone and walk along the public footpaths and bridleways to Grange Chine. From here you can stroll along the coastal path towards Chale. The beaches all along this stretch of coast are famous for their fossils. Alternatively, from Niton, you can head down to Reeth Bay and along to St Catherine’s Lighthouse, which was built in 1838. After a stroll, relax with a drink or two at the Buddle Inn in Niton – it’s an old smugglers’ haunt. Kids will love the Isle of Wight Offi cial Dinosaur Safari Guide, available from the Tourist Information Centre at the Guildhall. People often ask ‘which is the best beach on the Isle of Wight?’ Is it BEACH OUT Appley, where the golden sand goes on forever? Or Steephill Cove, where you might see supermodels sipping champagne. Or Ventnor, where the sand changes from red to gold to black, depending on the tides? 3The debate rages on. But one name always crops up. It’s a fi rm favourite that regularly tops those ‘Best beach in the World’ type polls. Yes, we’re talking about Compton Bay, which is just off the iconic Military Road. The sandy beaches along this stretch of coast are perfect for watersports, and you’ll often see hang gliders soaring above you. But that’s not all. You can also see some extraordinary dinosaur footcasts at the foot of the cliffs and dinosaur footprints left millions of years ago in the mud near Hanover Point. Go on an organised tour to look for fossils – they’re safe and fun. 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